Car-coupling.



'No. 723,410. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903. W. S. SGHROEDE'R & A. P. LINDHOLM.

' GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 19,02.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATEs PATENT Genres.

WILLIAM S. SOHROEDEB'AND ANDREW P. LINDHOLM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' 7 CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,410, dated-March 24, 1903.

I Application filed November 10, 1902. Serial No. 130.649. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM S. SOHROE- DER and ANDREW P. LINDHOLM, citizens of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement'in Oar- Oouplers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to car-couplers of the kind or class commonly known as Master Oar-Builders couplers, and which have a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, and'a gravity-lock.

The object of our invention is to provide a Master Car-Builders coupler of a simple, efficient, strong, and durable construction, composed of few parts, and which will operate to automatically open the knuckle when the lock is lifted,wliich=may be readily set to uncouple, and in which the lock is prevented from creeping or moving upward except when it is being intentionally lifted by the.

lifting-piece or its operating-lever connected thereto.

Ourinvention consists in the means we employ to accomplish this object or result-that' is to say,it consists,in connection with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, and a verticallymoving gravity locking-pin having a vertical slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece and an inclined or hook-shaped side slot to receive the side arm of the liftingpiece,,which projects laterally therefrom at the lower end thereof, of a lifting-piece having a side arm projecting laterally therefrom at its lower end, the side arm of the liftingpiece engaging a shoulder on the draw-head when the locking-pin is seated or down to prevent the locking-pin from creeping, and a horn-shaped knuckle-throwing lever ivotally-supported on a cross-pin extending through the upper part of the draw-head at the rear of the locking-pin or lifting-piece, the upper arm of which kn uckle-throwing lever is engaged by the side arm on the lifting-piece and the depending arm of which knuckle-throwing lever engages the tail of the knuckle when the lifting-piece has liftedthe locking-pin clear of the knuckle-tail, so as to automatically open the knuckle, the cross-pin preventing the lifting-piece and the locking-pin from being entirely removed from the draw-head and lost and also serving to a throw the pivotal lifting-pieceback in its slot or seat in the; locking-pin when the lock descends. The lock is also provided with a lock-set leg at its lower end which engages the floor of the draw-head to set the lock for uncoupling.

Our-invention also consistsin the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novelcombinations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figures land 2 are central vertical longitudinal sections of a carcoupler embodying our invention, showing the locking-pinin different positions. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view,a portion of the draw-head being broken'away to better-show the parts. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section of the draw-head. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of thelocking-pin. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the knuckle-throwing. lever. Fig. 8 is a detail-view of the lifting-piece, and Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of the lock and lifting-piece.

In the drawings, A represents the forked draw-head of an ordinary Master Oar-Builders coupler, the same having a pivot-arm A,

a guard-arm A and draw-bar A B is the knuckle, and O the pivot-pin by which the knuckle is pivoted to the drawhead.

D is the vertically-sliding gravity lockingpin, which works up and down in a suitable passage-way a in the draw-head. The locking-pin D has a rear vertical slot or chamber at to receive the lifting-piece F and an inclined or "hook-shaped side slot d toreceive the side armfof the lifting-piece F and afford a pivotal and inclined sliding connection between the lower, end of thelifting-piece and the-locking-pin'. This inclinedslot d terminates at its lower end in a rounded shoulder or seat 01 which serves to hold the side arm of the lifting-piece in place and in cooperative relation with the shoulder a on the draw-head to prevent the locking-pin from creeping when the same is in its lowermost position. The side armfof the liftingpiece projects through said inclined slot 01 and beyond the side wall of the lifting-pin sufficiently to properly engage the lockingshoulder a on the draw-head, the extent of said projection being indicated by the reduced portion f of said sidearm f. The lifting-piece F has a sliding and pivotal connection with the locking-pin and is provided at its upper end with an eye f for connection with the lifting-chain K and operating-lever K and with a rearwardly-projecting shoulder f furnished with aninclined or curved face f which by engagement with the transverse pin G causes the sliding and pivotal liftingpiece to seat itself in the slot or chamber 01 of the locking-pin when the locking-pin and lifting-piece descend. The cross-pin G extends through the upper part of the drawhead, just at the rear of the locking-pin and lifting-piece, and prevents the same from being, entirely removed from the draw-head by reason of the projecting shoulder 61 on the locking-pin engaging with the cross-pin G. The knuckle-throwing lever H has a long depending curved or horn-shaped operatingarm h, which engages the tail of the kn uckle to throw the same open, and a short lateral arm h, which is engaged by the side armf of the lifting-piece when the lifting-piece has raised the lock clearof the knuckle-tail, so that t he further upward movement of the lifting-piece and lock will operate the knucklethrowing lever. The k n tickle-throwing lever II is pivotaily supported on the cross-pin G, which extends through the same in a pivotopening h which is substantially circular at the outer side of the knuckle-throwing lever and broadens into a wide vertical slot at the inner side of the knuckle-throwing lever, as will be readily understood from Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings, so that. the knuckle-throwing lever while turning or swinging with a circular motion about the cross-pin G as the pivot or axis may also tilt transversely to the axis or pin G, and thus cause the operatingarm h of the knuckle-throwing lever to follow the tail of the knuckle out to the full limit of its throw. I

To cause the weight of the locking-pin and lifting-piece by their descending movement to automatically return the knuckle-throwing lever to position, the locking-pin D is provided With a side projection d, which engages the lateral arm 71 on the knuckle-throwor seat a in the floor of the draw-head, said notch a having a channel a, terminating in the opening a, so that when the knuckle swings open the tail thereof by engagement with the lock-set leg of the locking-pin will lift the same off the floor of the draw-head, so that when the knuckle again closes the coupler will automatically couple. \Vhen the locking-pin is lifted by the lifting-piece to clear the knuckle, the lock will tilt sidewise against the knuckle, thus setting, the lock-set leg on the coupler-floor in the notch a In our coupler it will thus be seen that the lifting-piece not only lifts the locking-pin, bu it also locks-the locking-pin from creeping by engagement with its side armf with the looking projection a on the draw-head, and also operates-the knuckle thrower or lever H, and the knuckle-throwing lever by reason of its combined swinging or circular motion about its supportingcross-pin G as a pivot and tilting motion transversely thereto follows the kn uckle-tail out to the full limit of its motion, and the cross-pin G not only carries the knucklethrowing lever, but it also serves to secure the locking-pin and lifting-piece in place, preventing their gettinglost, and tilts the liftingpiece into its seat or slot in the locking-pin. The cross-pin also serves to slide the liftingpiece over in case the coupler gives way or pulls out, thus preventing the coupler from falling on the tracks. The inclined side slot in the locking-pin by its engagement with the arm f of the lifting-piece also serves to throw or carry said side arm f somewhat farther forward, thus causing it to engage the arm h of the kn uckle-throwing lever farther away from its pivot G, thus giving a greater leverage in operating the knuckle-throwing lever.

We claim 1. In a car-con pler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive aside arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivotal and sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging no said inclined slot in the locking-pin and projecting through and beyond the side wall of the locking-pin, substantially as specified.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive a side arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivotal and sliding lifting-piece havinga side arm engaging said inclined slot in the locking-pin and projecting through and beyond the side wall of the locking-pin, said draw-head having a shoulder engaged by said side arm on the lifting-piece to prevent the look from creeping, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a Vertically-movin g gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive a side arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivoted and sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging said inclined slot in the locking-pin, said draw-head having ashoulder engaged by said side arm on the lifting-piece to prevent the lock from creeping, and a cross-pin extending through the upper part of the draw-head at the rear of said locking-pin and liftingpiece, said locking-pin having a projecting shoulder (1 adapted to engage said cross-pin to prevent the locking-pin and lifting-piece from being withdrawn from the d raw-head or lost, substantially as specified.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive a side arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivoted and sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging said inclined slot in the locking-pin, said draw-head having a shoulder engaged by said side arm on the lifting-piece to prevent the lock from creeping, and a cross-pin extending through the upper part of the draw-head at the rear of said locking-pin and liftingpiece, said locking-pin having a projecting shoulder d adapted to engage said cross-pin to prevent the locking-pin and lifting-piece from being withdrawn from the draw-head or lost, said lifting-piece having also a shoulder f with an incline face f to cause the liftingpiece to seat itself in said slot in the lockingpin by engagement with said cross-pin as the lock and lifting-piece descend, substantially as specified. r

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive a side arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivotal sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging said inclined slot in the locking-pin, said drawhead having a shoulder engaged by said arm on the lifting-piece to prevent the look from creeping, said lifting-piece having also a shoulderf with an inclined face f to cause the lifting-piece to seat itself in said slot in thelocking-pin by engagement with said crosspin asthe lock and lifting-piece descend, substantially as specified.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive a side arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivotal and sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging said inclined slot in the locking-pin, a knuckle-throwing lever H having a depending arm engaging the tail of the knuckle, and a lateral arm engaged by the side arm on said lifting-piece, and a cross-pin G extending through and pivotally supporting said knuckle-throwin g lever, substantially as specified.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a liftingpiece, an inclined side slot to receive aside arm on the lifting-piece, of a pivotal and sliding lifting-piece having a side arm engaging said inclined slot in the lockingapin, a knuckle-throwing lever H having a depending arm engaging the tail of the knuckle, a lateral arm engaged by the side arm on said liftingpiece, and a cross-pin G extending through and pivotallysupporting said knuckle-throwing lever, the pivot-opening throughsaid knuckle-throwing lever being substantially circular at one side and tapering or broadening into a slot at the other side to enable the knuckle-throwing lever to have not.only a swinging or circular motion about the crosspin as a pivot, but also a tilting movement transversely thereto, substantially as specified.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber to receive a lifting- -piece, an inclined side slot to receive a side tially circular at one side and tapering or broadening into'a slot at the other side to enable the knuckle-throwing lever to have not only a swinging or circular motion about the cross-pin as a pivot, but also a tilting movement transversely thereto, substantially as specified.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination with the forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber and an inclined side slot, of a lifting-piece fitting in said rear slot of the locking-pin, and a side arm fitting in said side slot, the drawhead having a shoulder engaged by said side arm on the lifting-piece to prevent the lock from creeping, a knuckle-throwing lever having a lateral arm engaged by said side arm on the liftingpiece, and a depending arm engaging the tail of the knuckle, the locking-pin having alsoa side shoulder or projection engaging the lateral arm of the knuckle-throwinglever on the downward movement of the locking-pin to return the knuckle-throwing lever to position, substantially as specified.

ICO

10. In a car-coupler, the combination with the forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle and a vertically-moving gravity locking-pin having a rear slot or chamber and an inclined side slot, of a lifting-piece fitting in said rear slot of the locking-pin, and a side arm fitting in said side' slot, the draw head having a shoulder engaged by saidside arm on the lifting-piece toprevent the lock from creeping, a knuckle-throwing lever having a lateral arm engaged by said side arm on the liftingpiece, and a depending arm engaging the tail of the knuckle, the locking-pin having also a through the knnekle throwing lever, said knuckle-throwing lever having a pivot-opening broadening into slot form at one side to enable it to have both a swinging-or circular movement about its pivot as an axis, and also a tilting movement transversely thereto, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM S. SCHROEDER. ANDREW P. LINDHOLM.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADCOOK, H. M. HUNDAY. 

